Is the qualification year the same as the calendar year?

No. The qualification year is personal and starts on the 1st of the month in which you first earned XP or received a level-up. By default it runs from November 1 to October 31, but this varies per member.

What happens during a mid-year level-up?

When you level up (to Silver, Gold, or Platinum), the XP cost is deducted and a new qualification year starts on the 1st of the following month. Any remaining XP carries over as rollover. Exception: Ultimate does not trigger a new cycle.

What is Soft Landing in Flying Blue?

Soft Landing guarantees you drop a maximum of one status level per year. A Platinum member who fails to requalify drops to Gold, never directly to Silver. The system deducts the cost of the lower level and your remaining XP rolls over.

How much XP does it cost to go from Explorer to Platinum?

Going from Explorer to Platinum costs a total of 580 XP: 100 for Silver, 180 for Gold, and 300 for Platinum. Each level-up deducts XP from your balance, meaning you cannot 'save up' across levels.

Flying Blue Qualification Year: How Your Personal Cycle Works

Q: What is the Flying Blue qualification year?

The qualification year is your personal 12-month cycle within Flying Blue. It runs from the 1st of a month to the last day of the previous month, one year later. At the end, the system evaluates your XP balance and either renews, downgrades, or upgrades your status.

By Remco de Graaf Flying Blue Platinum member since 2005, every status from Silver to Platinum. 30 years building digital products, 15+ mileage runs, 50+ countries. Founder of SkyStatus.

What is the qualification year?

The Flying Blue qualification year is your personal 12-month cycle during which you collect XP (Experience Points) for status retention or status upgrades. It is not a calendar year: it runs from the 1st of a month to the last day of the previous month, one year later. At the end of your cycle, the system evaluates your XP balance, deducts the cost of your status, and calculates how much XP carries over to the next year.

Contents

How the qualification year works
When does your qualification year start?
What happens at the end?
The XP deduction model
What happens during a level-up?
Cumulative costs per status level
Soft Landing: the safety net
Ultimate: the exception to every rule
Rollover: carrying XP forward
Common mistakes
SkyStatus: tracking your cycle
Frequently asked questions

How the qualification year works

The qualification year is the beating heart of Flying Blue. Everything revolves around it: when your status is renewed, how much XP you need to earn, when rollover occurs, and whether Soft Landing applies. Yet it remains one of the most misunderstood parts of the program.

The basic rules

Personal: every Flying Blue member has their own cycle. Yours is probably different from your travel companion's.
12 months: always exactly 12 months, from the 1st of a month to the last day of the previous month, one year later.
Example: November 1, 2025 through October 31, 2026, or March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027.
Not the calendar year: forget January 1 as a reference point. Your cycle can start in any month.
Two triggers for reset: your cycle can end early due to a level-up, or simply runs until the last day.

SkyStatus Risk Monitor showing the qualification year with remaining days, required XP, and progress indicator — The Risk Monitor in SkyStatus shows exactly how many days and XP you have left in your qualification year.

When does your qualification year start?

There are three moments when your qualification year (re)starts:

1. At sign-up or first flight

For new members, the qualification year starts on the 1st of the month in which you earn your first XP after joining Flying Blue. If you sign up but do not fly until months later, the counter only starts with that first flight.

Example: new member

Situation: you join Flying Blue on January 10, 2026 and take your first flight on March 15, 2026.

Result: your qualification year runs from March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027.

2. At a level-up

When you reach a higher status (Silver, Gold, or Platinum), a new qualification year starts on the 1st of the following month. This is the most common trigger for a cycle reset.

Example: level-up from Silver to Gold

Situation: you are Silver with a November-October cycle. On June 15 you reach 180 XP.

Result: you become Gold immediately. The system deducts 180 XP. Your new Gold cycle runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

3. At requalification (same level)

If you have enough XP at the end of your cycle to retain your status, your year dates stay exactly the same. Nothing changes about the timing, only your XP balance is adjusted.

Example: Platinum requalification

Situation: you are Platinum with a November-October cycle. You earned 450 XP.

Result: 300 XP is deducted for Platinum retention. 150 XP rolls over. Your cycle remains November-October.

Historical note: before April 2018, Flying Blue used the calendar year (January 1 - December 31) as a fixed qualification period for everyone. After the year ended, you kept your status for three more months (until March 31), after which you potentially dropped a level. Since the April 2018 overhaul, every member has a personal 12-month cycle. Members who have never changed levels since then often still have a January-December cycle. If you do not know when your cycle runs, check it on your monthly statement or in SkyStatus.

What happens at the end of your qualification year?

At the end of your 12 months, the system automatically performs the following steps:

The settlement process (step by step)

Step 1 - Check balance: the system totals all your earned XP: flights, credit card, SAF contributions, and other sources.
Step 2 - Determine status: do you have enough XP for your current level? If yes: requalification. If no: Soft Landing (maximum 1 level drop).
Step 3 - Deduct XP: the cost for your (new) status is deducted from your balance.
Step 4 - Calculate rollover: the remainder after deduction (up to a maximum of 300 XP) carries over as starting balance for your new year.
Step 5 - New cycle: your next 12 months begin. For requalification at the same level: same dates. For status change via Soft Landing: same dates.

SkyStatus progress indicator showing status toward Platinum requalification with XP counter and remaining days — The status progress in SkyStatus shows how much XP you still need for requalification within your current qualification year.

The XP deduction model: paying for status

This is the core mechanism that many people misunderstand. Flying Blue does not work on a "collect points and keep them" basis. It works as a payment system: you pay XP for your status.

Status	XP threshold	What gets deducted
Silver	100 XP	100 XP at qualification
Gold	180 XP	180 XP at qualification
Platinum	300 XP	300 XP at qualification
Ultimate	900 UXP (requires Platinum)	900 UXP (no additional XP deduction)

The deduction happens in exactly two situations:

At the end of your qualification year (requalification or Soft Landing)
During a mid-year level-up (immediately when you reach the threshold)

Rollover = min(XP balance - status cost, 300)

Source: KLM membership levels - "you'll keep the rest" (rollover), with a maximum of 300 XP.

What happens during a level-up?

A level-up is a significant moment in your cycle. It triggers three things simultaneously:

Immediate status upgrade: you immediately receive all benefits of your new level.
XP deduction: the threshold for the new level is deducted from your balance.
Cycle reset: your qualification year restarts on the 1st of the following month.

Example: Silver to Gold on June 15

XP balance before level-up: 195 XP

Gold cost: 180 XP deducted

Rollover: 195 - 180 = 15 XP as starting balance

New cycle: July 1 through June 30 (12 months)

Note: XP earned on June 16 and later counts toward your new Gold cycle, not as extra rollover from the old cycle.

Subtle but important: your new qualification year officially starts on the 1st of the following month, but all flights after your level-up already count toward that new year. If you reach Gold on March 3, everything from March 4 through March 31 already counts toward your Gold cycle, which officially starts April 1 and runs through March 31 of the following year. So you effectively get slightly more than 12 months of earning time in your first cycle at the new level.

Multiple level-ups in one month: it is technically possible to pass through multiple levels in a single month. Suppose you fly a La Premiere return to Tokyo as an Explorer and also purchase SAF contribution XP, earning a total of 600 XP. The system processes this sequentially: 100 XP deducted for Silver (500 remaining), 180 deducted for Gold (320 remaining), 300 deducted for Platinum (20 remaining). You are instantly Platinum with 20 XP rollover.

Cumulative costs: from Explorer to any status

Because each level-up deducts XP, the total cost to reach a given level from Explorer is higher than that level's threshold alone.

Target level	Threshold (this level only)	Total from Explorer	Explanation
Silver	100 XP	100 XP	First level, no prior deduction
Gold	180 XP	280 XP	100 (Silver) + 180 (Gold)
Platinum	300 XP	580 XP	100 + 180 + 300
Ultimate	900 UXP (requires Platinum)	580 XP + 900 UXP	Platinum costs + 900 UXP separately (AF/KL only)

Common mistake: many people think reaching Gold from Explorer costs "only" 180 XP. In reality, it costs 280 XP: first you pay 100 XP for Silver, and from your Silver year you need to earn another 180 XP for Gold. Each level-up starts you at an empty (or low, thanks to rollover) XP balance.

Soft Landing: the safety net

Soft Landing is the guarantee that you drop a maximum of one status level per qualification year, regardless of how much XP you earned. It protects you from a free fall.

How Soft Landing works

Current level	XP insufficient for	Soft Landing result	XP deduction
Platinum	300 XP (Platinum)	Drops to Gold	180 XP (Gold cost)
Gold	180 XP (Gold)	Drops to Silver	100 XP (Silver cost)
Silver	100 XP (Silver)	Drops to Explorer	0 XP (no cost)
Ultimate	900 UXP (Ultimate)	Always to Platinum	300 XP (Platinum cost)

Example: Gold member with 150 XP

Situation: you are Gold (requirement: 180 XP) but only earned 150 XP.

Soft Landing: you drop one level to Silver. The system deducts 100 XP (Silver cost).

Rollover: 150 - 100 = 50 XP as starting balance for your new Silver year.

Important: even if you had only earned 10 XP, you would still drop to Silver and not to Explorer. Maximum 1 level drop per year.

Example: Gold member with 0 XP

Situation: you are Gold but did not fly all year.

Soft Landing: you drop to Silver. The system cannot deduct 100 XP (you have 0), so you start your Silver year with 0 XP.

The guarantee: despite 0 XP, you do not drop further than Silver. Soft Landing "gives" you Silver for free as a safety net.

SkyStatus Risk Monitor with warning about remaining time in the qualification year and required XP — The Risk Monitor warns you when you are at risk of not requalifying and Soft Landing would apply.

Ultimate: the exception to every rule

Ultimate behaves differently from all other status levels. It is not a separate XP level but a layer on top of Platinum. This has three major consequences for your qualification year:

1. Ultimate does not reset your qualification year

Unlike Silver, Gold, and Platinum, reaching Ultimate does not trigger a new qualification year. Your Platinum cycle simply continues. This makes sense because Ultimate sits on top of Platinum, not beside it.

2. No XP deduction for Ultimate

When you reach Ultimate, nothing is deducted from your XP balance. Only 900 UXP is deducted separately. You keep all your XP.

3. Soft Landing always to Platinum

As an Ultimate member, you always soft land to Platinum, even with 0 XP and 0 UXP. You can never drop from Ultimate directly to Gold or lower. This is a one-time protection: once you land at Platinum, the normal rules apply again.

Why Ultimate guarantees 2+ years of Platinum

The math: Ultimate requires 900 UXP from AF/KL flights. Those flights simultaneously earn XP. So 900 UXP = at least 900 XP earned.

No XP deduction for Ultimate itself, only 900 UXP separately.
At year end: 300 XP deducted for Platinum retention. You still have 600 XP remaining.
Rollover cap: maximum 300 XP. You start your next year with 300 XP.
300 XP is exactly the Platinum threshold. You are already qualified without taking a single flight.

Conclusion: reaching Ultimate once automatically guarantees at least two additional years of Platinum through XP alone.

Rollover: carrying XP forward to the next year

Rollover is the reward for extra effort. After the cost of your status is deducted, the remainder carries over as starting balance for your new qualification year. But there are limits.

Rollover limits

Type	Maximum rollover	Explanation
XP	300 XP	Equal to the Platinum threshold
UXP	900 UXP	Equal to the Ultimate threshold

When does rollover occur?

Rollover occurs at exactly two moments:

At the end of your qualification year (after requalification or Soft Landing)
During a mid-year level-up (after the threshold is deducted)

Example: maximum rollover as Platinum

Situation: you are Platinum and earned 600 XP in your qualification year.

Deduction: 300 XP for Platinum retention.

Remainder: 600 - 300 = 300 XP.

Cap check: 300 = 300. Right at the cap. Everything carries over.

Result: you start next year with 300 XP. That is exactly enough to requalify for Platinum immediately, even if you do not fly all year.

Above the cap = wasted: if you earn 700 XP as a Platinum member, the system deducts 300 (remainder: 400 XP). But the rollover cap is 300, so 100 XP is lost. As a Platinum member, do not earn more than 600 XP if you want to avoid wasting XP. Read more in the rollover guide.

Does rollover count toward the next level?

Yes. Rollover XP fully counts toward your next status level. If you start your Gold year with 50 XP rollover, you only need 250 more XP to reach the Platinum threshold of 300 XP.

SkyStatus Cycle Performance with rollover calculation and status progress per month throughout the qualification year — Cycle Performance in SkyStatus shows your XP buildup per month, including rollover and the impact on your status projection.

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: "My qualification year runs from January to December"

The biggest misconception. Your qualification year is personal and does not follow the calendar year. Check your exact dates on your Flying Blue monthly statement or in your account. XP earned after your cycle ends counts toward the next year, not the current one.

Mistake 2: "Reaching Gold costs 180 XP"

From Silver, this is correct. But from Explorer, reaching Gold costs 280 XP (100 for Silver + 180 for Gold). The deduction model ensures that after each level-up, you start at (nearly) zero again.

Mistake 3: "I can save up XP over multiple years"

You cannot. XP is deducted at qualification and rollover is capped at 300. You cannot accumulate XP over several years to become Platinum all at once. Every year you must earn again.

Mistake 4: "Ultimate resets my cycle"

No. Ultimate is a layer on top of Platinum and does not trigger a new cycle. Your Platinum cycle simply continues. This is a crucial exception to the rule that level-ups reset your cycle.

Mistake 5: "My flight tomorrow still counts for this year"

Only if your cycle has not ended yet. Check your exact end date. A flight on November 1 does not count for a cycle that ended on October 31, even if you booked the ticket in September.

Pro tip: plan your most expensive or longest flights (with the most XP) within your current qualification year. A mileage run just after your cycle ends is wasted effort if you are trying to retain status.

SkyStatus: tracking your qualification year

The Flying Blue website shows limited information about your qualification year. You can see your current XP and status, but no projections, rollover calculations, or end-date warnings. SkyStatus fills this gap.

SkyStatus cycle settings editor with start status, start XP, cycle start month, and UXP options — In SkyStatus you configure your qualification cycle: start status, start XP (rollover), cycle start month, and UXP settings.

What SkyStatus calculates

Cycle dates: exact start and end date of your qualification year, including a countdown in days.
XP progress: how much XP you have earned and how much you still need for requalification or the next level.
Rollover projection: how much XP is expected to carry over to your next year, taking planned flights into account.
Risk warning: the Risk Monitor warns you if you are at risk of not requalifying for your current status.
Monthly breakdown: the XP Ledger shows per month exactly which XP you earned from which source.
Automatic detection: when importing your PDF statement, SkyStatus automatically detects your qualification period, including level-ups and rollover.

SkyStatus XP Ledger with a complete 12-month qualification year showing monthly XP from flights, credit cards, and other sources — The XP Ledger displays your full qualification year broken down by month and by source.

Your qualification year under control

Import your Flying Blue PDF and instantly see your cycle dates, XP progress, rollover projection, and risk warnings.

Start Tracking Free

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out when my qualification year ends?

Check your Flying Blue account or view your monthly statement (PDF). The statement shows your qualification period. You can also use SkyStatus, which automatically detects your cycle dates during PDF import.

Do flights after my cycle ends count for the old year?

No. XP earned after the end of your qualification year counts toward the new year. This is a common mistake with mileage runs: always plan them before your cycle ends if you are trying to retain status.

Can I change my cycle dates?

Not manually. Your cycle dates are determined automatically by Flying Blue. The only way to "shift" your cycle is by achieving a level-up, after which a new 12-month cycle starts on the 1st of the following month.

What if I do not fly all year?

Soft Landing protects you: you drop a maximum of one level. If you are Gold and do not fly all year, you become Silver (not Explorer). The system gives you the lower level for free if there is not enough XP to deduct. Read more about when miles expire due to inactivity.

Does my cycle change after a status drop via Soft Landing?

No. With Soft Landing (status drop), your cycle dates remain the same. Only level-ups (from lower to higher) trigger a cycle reset.

Can I go from Explorer to Platinum in one month?

Yes, if you earn enough XP. With 580 XP in one month (or with sufficient rollover), the system processes all level-ups sequentially: Explorer to Silver (100 deducted), Silver to Gold (180 deducted), Gold to Platinum (300 deducted). This is rare but happens with expensive Business Class trips with multiple flight segments.

What if I am pursuing Platinum for Life?

Platinum for Life requires 10 consecutive years of Platinum. Soft Landing years only count if you actually earned 300 XP. Your qualification year and your Soft Landing protection work together, but a Soft Landing year does not automatically count toward the PfL counter.

Is there an exception for parental leave?

Yes. Flying Blue offers the option to request a status extension during maternity, paternity, or adoption leave. Contact customer service for the exact terms and conditions.

Official references

Flying Blue Status & XP - XP thresholds, earning rates, qualification periods
KLM Membership Levels - Rollover explanation, Soft Landing
Flying Blue Ultimate - UXP requirements, 900 UXP deduction and rollover
Flying Blue Terms & Conditions (PDF) - Full program rules

This guide is based on official Flying Blue program rules. Core mechanics (qualification cycle, XP deduction, Soft Landing, rollover cap): verified at KLM membership levels and Flying Blue Status & XP. Ultimate rules: verified at Flying Blue Ultimate. Program rules may change. Always verify current terms in your Flying Blue account. Last verified: 27 February 2026. SkyStatus is not affiliated with Air France-KLM or Flying Blue.